If you haven’t panicked lately, you’re either blissfully ignorant or have gone completely clear. For the rest of us attempting to navigate the political, economical, and cultural carnage, Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” succinctly captures the statue of psychic dislocation. Or N.W.A.’s “The Panic Zone.” Or Black Moth Super Rainbow’s Panic Blooms, the latest disorienting dystopian masterpiece from the experimental pop arsonists that haunt the black-leaved Pennsylvania woods.

For the last decade, BMSR and frontman TOBACCO have explored the periphery of evil and extreme color, alternating between absurdly bright beauty and the slashed throat sinister. A sound impossible to replicate, as though it burst fully formed from a paisley-painted fire hydrant stationed in hell. They combine the aesthetically gorgeous with the hideously ugly to create a psychedelic uneasiness usually only seen in old oil paintings. What if Goya or Bosch made ravaged vocoder pop? Or a neo-impressionist painter committed himself to creating slow woozy earworms so iridian and vivid you’d think he sliced off an ear in the process.

We know scarcely anything personal about BMSR frontman TOBACCO. There’s his government name, Tom Fec. A few photos if you want to Google, most of them in a mask. He’s done enough interviews where he patiently breaks down the creative process and the ideas espoused, but has mostly resisted the soul-snuffing admissions expected from contemporary musicians. In that vein, he’s closer to a Boards of Canada, DOOM, or Aphex Twin—periodically visible but opaque—emotional but unwilling to exploit the self-mythology and cult that cropped up around him.

So maybe this is why Panic Blooms is slightly startling. Never before has TOBACCO been so raw or direct in his lyrics. It’s a f-ed up and bleeding account of depression and the shadow side of human frailty, full of gorgeous warped melodies that exist as their own genre, somewhere between late 90s Warp Records, dub, and chopped and screwed codeine drip. It’s not drug music, it’s dragged music, oozing through the muck of the present moment, past mutating the present, demon melodies filtered through the vain search for light.

This is why Pitchfork claimed BMSR mastered the balance between the grotesque and beautiful. Spin hailed their “consistently great records of mind-altering, sugar-coated, vocoder- heavy psychedelic pop.” Stereogum saluted their “excellent haze.” Encoded in a syrupy fog, TOBACCO’s lines stab with more ferocity than ever before. From the first track, the knives are out and slashing with chimerical violent imagery: mouths bleeding from razor blades stashed in tangerines and the ominous sensation of feeling haunted. There are sunset curses and diseased plants, sunburn fevers and doomsday downgrades, pink apocalyptic suns and sinister omens. It’s reminiscent of the phrase used to describe surrealism: as beautiful as the chance encounter of a sewing machine and an umbrella on an operating table.

Here we are in 2018, inhabiting a tumorous wasteland with singed nerves and synapses fried from scrolling for far too long. This is what the fear sounds like in its most pristine form. The floral bloom and the toxic wilt, the sound of dreams and nightmares reaching détente, a ride through the void, where the fumes offer all the anesthetic you need.

Joseph Arthur and Peter Buck of R.E.M. fame will release their debut album, Arthur Buck, on June 15th, 2018 via New West Records. The 11-song set was produced by Joseph Arthur and mixed by Tchad Blake (U2, Pearl Jam, The Black Keys) with all of its songs co-written by the duo. Arthur Buck previously announced their first ever North American tour launching on September 7th in Seattle, WA (please see all dates below). In addition to Joseph Arthur and Peter Buck, the live band will consist of Scott McCaughey (Minus 5, Young Fresh Fellows, R.E.M., The Baseball Project) on bass, Linda Pitmon (Minus 5, Filthy Friends, The Baseball Project) on drums, and Gregg Foreman (Pharmacy, Delta 72, Cat Power) on Keyboards. In their rave review of the album, Uncut Magazine in the U.K. stated that the “Veterans sound renewed on the anthem-filled collaboration” and said of its lead off track, “Buck’s chiming acoustic pattern on ‘I Am The Moment’ echoes the sylvan glory of R.E.M.’s Out Of Time, setting up the LP’s prevailing theme of hopeful anticipation.” NPR Music previously premiered the song, which marries Buck’s sharply-strummed acoustic guitar chords to an electronic beat, with all manner of sonic ephemera ping-ponging around in the background. NPR stated, “The sparks fly freely in the song 'I Am the Moment': a classic chiming Buck guitar lick sets up a vocal that's both gritty and cosmically gleeful, enlivened by a handclap-sharp rhythm track.” Rolling Stone also previously premiered their video for the album’s first single, “Are You Electrified?.” The Dean Karr directed clip was shot in Oregon and Rolling Stone said, “Between clean guitar licks, Arthur’s gritty vocals impart a message of hope. Arthur described the new track as ‘a song about holding onto your dreams in a world that makes it challenging to do so...to inspire with positive energy and momentum to do as the song says and ‘make this world a better place.’” See it HERE. Today, Consequence of Sound premiered the track “American Century” alongside an “Origins” feature examining the song's creation with Peter Buck and Joseph Arthur. Here it Here. Arthur Buck will be available as an Indie Retail Translucent Blue & Red Split Colored Vinyl Edition, a limited edition Autographed Barnes & Noble Vinyl Variant, Standard Black Vinyl, Compact Disc, and across digital platforms. The album is currently available for pre-order via New West Records.

The collaboration was established after the pair met up in Mexico near the end of 2017. They wrote eight songs in three days and on the fourth day, performed them for a handful of Baja locals near Buck’s home. Arthur says, “My first thought was, ‘Hey, I’ll get Peter to play acoustic guitar on some of the stuff I’m working on!’ So I started showing him songs. But he was like, ‘That’s cool. Now check this out.’ And he started playing chords and whatnot. So I put my guitar down and began singing over his changes, and it was magical. It was easy. And these great songs just started popping out.”

Since their initial meeting, the pair steadily worked on their debut with basic tracks recorded at Type Foundry Studio in Portland, OR with Arthur producing at his studio in Brooklyn, NY. The vibrant collection captures the spontaneity at the heart of the project - right down to the 1-2-3-4 count off from Buck that begins the proceedings - with sounds and styles mashed together in a unique and interesting manner. “It was all new songs, and it was spontaneous,” Buck says. “And the great thing about working that way was that it didn’t have to be anything in particular. It was liberated from any expectation. It was free.”

The two musicians have a history that stretches back decades; among other pairings, Arthur opened many shows for R.E.M. in the early 2000s, while Buck has backed Arthur on numerous occasions. Both Arthur and Buck have said that these songs differ from their other recording projects and while speaking with Rolling Stone, Buck said “It was really spontaneous and kind of magical in its own way, as [being in Mexico] we were kind of disconnected from everything.” Arthur added, “All of a sudden it was like I had this musical partner and friend, and that relieved the music of the burden of the self, if that makes sense.” Of his new bandmate, Buck stated, “Joe is going through that searching period we all go through in life. And those experiences he’s having make this a very forward-looking record, lyrically. The music has a questing kind of feel. We were making it up as we went along.”

Rolling Stone has announced Beanpole's unreleased LP and shared the single "Farmer Loved An Onion". The LP, 'All My Kin', which features members of Primus and Spent Poets, will be out 8/31 on Chimera Music.

When speaking about the song, guitarist Larry LaLonde says, "To get the vibe of recording a Beanpole song, you have to place yourself in a secluded farm valley full of mutant hillbillies trying to recreate melodies that were found on a broken record of Disneyland ride music."

As for the album, Chimera Music's Sean Lennon states, "It's a concept album for post-modern America. It chronicles the epic tale of Chicken Boy and his dangerously interrelated family. Years of isolation have resulted in the birth of a child who is part man and part poultry. Despite obvious adoration for their uniquely feathered offspring, having fallen upon hard times they consider the unthinkable: will Chicken Boy be sacrificed to feed his hungry family?" Bassist Les Claypool adds, "If Fellini, Dali, and Captain Kangaroo got together in their teens and ate peyote, this is the album they would have recorded."

All My Kin is the strange and somewhat unbelievable album collecting the music of an artist by the name of Beanpole. “Starving artist” must have been their mode of recording as stories of farming, eating, and disfigured animal-human hybrids course throughout the record. Very little is known about Beanpole, but it is widely recognized by collectors that most of the music originated from the late 1980s and early 1990s. Some sources maintain Beanpole is still active, although evidence remains unsubstantiated.

Primus’ Les Claypool claims he attempted to release a decade’s worth of Beanpole recordings on his Prawn Song label in the ‘90s. We’re told that the tracks were delivered to the mastering studio on worn-out cassette tapes and dusty DATs. As legend has it, when Claypool played the mastered tracks to his distributor, the response from company executives was poor. As a result, Claypool was summarily dismissed from his business relationship with the distribution company, effectively ending his label. For nearly 20 years thereafter, the tracks were to remain forgotten.

Fast forward to 2016 when Claypool was touring with Sean Lennon as The Claypool Lennon Delirium. Les played the old, neglected recordings to Sean, who decided that the world was finally ready for Beanpole!

Pasadena, CA – May 31, 2018 - Following a hugely successful, sold out inaugural year in 2017, Goldenvoice’s Arroyo Seco Weekend Festival has revealed more details on this year’s festival. Arroyo Seco Weekend is a world class cultural affair, with a stellar music line up that includes Saturday headliners Neil Young + The Promise Of The Real and Jack White with Sunday headliners Kings Of Leon and Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters, as well as a food lovers’ paradise. Festival goers can find an array of sought-after dishes and award-winning restaurants from Los Angeles and Pasadena’s impressive culinary communities. The selection offers a wide range of cuisine, from classic Italian dishes; authentic Mexican; Korean BBQ; to gluten-free and vegan options celebrating Los Angeles’ melting pot of a food scene. Newest additions to the food and beverage program include Los Angeles staples Wexler’s Deli and Barrel & Ashes, along with the beloved Burritos La Palma, and the new and exciting Chilola's Fine Filipino Tacos by Chef Michael Hung, and Chef Michael Mina’s Cal Mare, and more.

Pasadena’s acclaimed Kidspace Museum returns to the festival with a tent of activities to keep children entertained. This year make your own box guitar, jam with the interactive drum circle lead by Rhythm Child, add to the collaborative art project and create your own crafts and concert buttons at the Kidspace Family Jam. And, for the first time, Arroyo Seco Weekend welcomes Pasadena’s The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens with an interactive installation of plant and flower biology and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory will be on site with an exclusive Intergalactic Travel Lounge. This year also sees the return of Vroman’s Bookstore-curated Little Libraries, scattered around the festival site. Attendees will be able to peruse books relating to Pasadena’s long history as a cultural center. Children 10 and under are free with a ticketed adult.

The festival will include performances by (in ABC order by day):

SATURDAY JUNE 23:

Belle & Sebastian

Dwight Twilley

Gomez

Hurray for the Riff Raff

Jack White

Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra

Kamasi Washington

Margo Price

Maxim Ludwig

Neil Young + Promise Of The Real

North Mississippi Allstars

Pharoah Sanders

Pretenders

Seu Jorge

Shakey Graves

The Milk Carton Kids

The Specials

Typhoon

SUNDAY JUNE 24:

Aaron Neville

Alanis Morrissette

Allen Stone

Capital Cities

Dorothy

Fantastic Negrito

Gary Clark Jr.

Irma Thomas

Kings Of Leon

Los Lobos

Margaret Glaspy

Robert Plant & the Sensational Shape Shifters

The Bangles

The Revolution

Third Eye Blind

Tracksuit Wedding

Trampled By Turtles

﻿Violent Femmes

RESTAURANTS:

Freedman's

Jon & Vinny's

Donna Jean

STRFSH

The Ponte

Bourbon Steak

Hatchet Hall

La Esquina

House of Machines

Playa Provisions

Burritos La Palma

Ms Chi

Wexler's Deli

Fritzi Coop

Cena Vegan

Yoga-Urt

Sage Plant Based Bistro

Cassell's Hamburgers

Hanjip Korean BBQ

Top Round

The Spare Room

Block Party

Cal Mare

Chilola's Fine Filipino Tacos

Kogi

Barrel & Ashes

Pass Prices

Single day GA: $149 + fees

Weekend GA: $249 + fees

Single day VIP: $349 + fees

Weekend VIP: $449 + fees

Weekend Clubhouse VIP: $999 + fees

Weekend Preferred parking: $65

Free day parking will be available at the festival, plus easy access from surrounding areas by Metro Gold Line, or rideshare/taxi to a pick-up and drop-off lot. Festival venue is accessible to pedestrians, and a Bike Valet will be offered. Festival amenities include plenty of shade, water filling stations, lockers, bicycle parking and phone charging stations.

Arroyo Seco Weekend is truly Pasadena taking its name from The Arroyo Seco stream, meaning “dry stream” in Spanish, that passes through Brookside Golf Course and Pasadena from the San Gabriel Mountains.

Live Nation presents

Johnny Marr

October 48pm, $25–$49.50

The legendary, darkly transcendent guitarist Johnny Marr embarks on a North American tour this fall following the release of his third solo album Call the Comet. In October, he’ll brings his divine talents to The Theatre for a post-punk, synth-streaked night. Buy tickets at 10am with the presale codeCOMET.

"The track ("Moulding Over") is a dreamy rumination on mortality,.."- Consequence Of Sound

Consequence Of Sound has shared late Surfer Blood guitarist Thom Fekete's single "Moulding Over". It will be featured on his posthumous LP Grow out 6/8 via Joyful Noise Recordings. Along with the track premiere, Thom's wife Jessica did an "Origins" piece explaining who influenced the song.

Thom Fekete, former lead guitarist of Surfer Blood. Thom was raised by a family of musicians, his parents moved to the US from Hungary in the 70’s to pursue their career as touring musicians and eventually toured much of the world as entertainers on cruise ships. Growing up with passions divided between skateboarding (potentially slated to go pro) and music, music ultimately pulled Thomas in it’s direction with the offer to join Surfer Blood in 2009.

Thom wrote, recorded and toured with Surfer Blood until his diagnosis with cancer in late 2014. He was diagnosed in December 2014, after experiencing strange and debilitating pain while on a hike during his honeymoon. Thom was very open about his illness and every method of treatment that he underwent, detailing almost everything on the gofundme page set up by his wife - which due to an unbelievable outpouring of support, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and allowed Thom access multiple experimental treatments and the ability to fly to doctors outside of the US for alternative options.

While undergoing the rigorous treatment, Thom put out his first solo album, Burner, through Joyful Noise. Overwhelmed by its reception, he quickly began work on a second album.

Thom passed away in Delray Beach, Florida on May 30, 2016. He dreamed of continuing his solo music career with the goal of moving to Asheville, NC to open his own recording studio there

Thom began work on his second album in January 2016. He and his wife built bedside rigs and set up travel studios out of suitcases to give him the ability to work regardless of where treatment took him, and despite becoming bound to wheelchairs and walkers. Thom was unable to see his work to its completion, as he became too weak from his illness in April and passed away in May of 2016.

Later that year, Thom’s wife, Jessica Fekete, aware of his work on this next set of songs, went through his computer and pulled every file that seemed a part of this project. She discovered a notebook that included notes for it’s title and some hints of a tracklisting. With a stroke of pure luck, she was even able to acquire stems from a live performance of the last track “When Death Comes Searching” which Thom had not had the chance to record. She brought these files to Daniel Good (Thom’s dear friend who mastered Burner) at his home in Joshua Tree, and together they pieced together what seemed to be a cohesive and complete record that best reflected Thom’s beautiful, wildly charged spirit.

Believing that Thom lives on through the music he was so passionate about, Jessica was eager to share what he excitedly worked on during the last few months of his life. The music drove him forward, made him forget about the suffering he so bravely faced each day. The music was his life force. There is no greater honor than being able to share the last remaining pieces of Thom with his fans and loved ones who supported him so fiercely in his battle and shared in the amazing life he lived.

About Us

The Portable Infinite is an online music and arts magazine based in Los Angeles. We are a collective of independent artists supporting and promoting other cutting edge independent musicians and artists.
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